The American biotech company Inovio announced preliminary but encouraging results on Tuesday for its vaccine project against the new coronavirus, administered on 40 volunteers in the United States. According to a company press release, the vaccine caused an immune system response in 94% of the participants who followed the so-called phase 1 clinical trial, that is to say with two injections four weeks apart.
The Inovio vaccine, called INO-4800, involves injecting a DNA genetic code into the person's body to trigger a specific immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The vaccine is injected under the skin by a needle, then it is activated by a device resembling a toothbrush, which delivers an electric mini-pulse, of a fraction of a second, allowing the DNA to penetrate the cells of the body and fulfill its mission there.
Storage for years
Inovio, already funded by the United States Department of Defense and the NGO CEPI, also announces that it has been selected by President Donald Trump's program to try to produce hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine by January 2021, l 'Warp Speed' operation.
The company's vaccine is the only DNA vaccine "stable at room temperature for more than a year", and "which does not need to be frozen for transport or to be stored for years," said the CEO. from Inovio, Joseph Kim. This is an important advantage for vaccinating populations in developing countries, where the cold chain is more complex to respect.
Over 20 advanced projects
23 Covid-19 vaccine projects have started clinical trials, i.e. in humans, according to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and several have already moved into the second phase, which involves injecting the vaccine on thousands or tens of thousands of volunteers.
The vaccine of the American biotech Moderna and that of the British University of Oxford allied with the AstraZeneca laboratory are among the most advanced in large-scale trials, as well as several Chinese projects, notably that of the company CanSinoBIO, which has already obtained authorization to administer it to soldiers of the Chinese army.
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